India will face five-time world champions Brazil in one of the biggest international friendlies ever staged in the country when the two senior men's national teams meet in Kolkata on Saturday, October 3.
The brazil vs india football match will kick off at 7:30 PM IST at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, with Khalid Jamil's India taking on Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil for the first time at senior international level. The fixture will be shown in India on the Sony Sports Network, Sony Aath and SonyLIV. Brazil enter the match ranked fifth in the FIFA men's rankings, while India are 138th. The AIFF says the Seleção will be the highest-ranked opposition India have faced since the official FIFA ranking system was introduced in 1993. All India Football Federation
The historic friendly will take place at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) in Kolkata, popularly known as Salt Lake Stadium.
| Match detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | India vs Brazil |
| Competition | International friendly |
| Date | Saturday, October 3, 2026 |
| Kick-off | 7:30 PM IST |
| Venue | Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata |
| India ranking | 138 |
| Brazil ranking | 5 |
| TV in India | Sony Sports Network, Sony Aath |
| Live streaming | SonyLIV |
| India coach | Khalid Jamil |
| Brazil coach | Carlo Ancelotti |
Both the AIFF's match-eve preview and the Brazilian Football Confederation confirm the 7:30 PM local start. CBF lists the game for 11 AM Brasília time.
Sony had earlier advertised its match coverage from 7 PM onwards, while the actual kick-off is scheduled half an hour later. Fans looking for the brazil vs india game on television can therefore tune in before the 7:30 PM start.
Saturday's meeting will be the first senior men's international between India and Brazil. The significance is heightened by where it is being played. Kolkata has one of India's strongest football cultures and a long-standing following for the Brazilian national team. The Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) has previously staged major international and domestic fixtures, but bringing Brazil's senior side there creates an entirely different level of attention.
For India, the ranking gap makes the assignment particularly demanding. The Blue Tigers are 133 places below Brazil in the current rankings. India do, however, arrive with encouragement from their previous friendly against Panama. Khalid Jamil's side drew 1-1 in Bengaluru, with Ryan Williams scoring India's goal. AIFF's match-eve assessment said it was the first time India had avoided defeat against a top-50-ranked team.
Jamil has made it clear that India cannot simply defend for the entire game. His challenge will be to reproduce the compact shape, pressing and transition threat seen against Panama while dealing with considerably greater individual quality.
The Brazil national football team squad contains a mixture of established internationals and younger players as Ancelotti continues to reshape his side following the 2026 World Cup.
Vinicius Junior, Endrick, Estêvão, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães and Bruno Guimarães are among the major names available for the Kolkata fixture.
However, Brazil's original 26-man selection has changed because of injuries. João Pedro withdrew and was replaced by Fluminense midfielder Martinelli, while Vanderson replaced the injured Wesley. Raphinha subsequently left the camp after suffering a minor muscular problem during the Australia leg, and CBF confirmed that no replacement would be called for him. CBF
The updated Brazil national football team squad available during this international window includes:
Goalkeepers: Hugo Souza, Pedro Morisco, Otávio
Defenders: Arthur Dias, Douglas Santos, Gabriel Magalhães, Jair, Marquinhos, Matheuzinho, Mauro Júnior, Vitor Reis, Vanderson
Midfielders: Andrey Santos, Breno Bidon, Bruno Guimarães, Danilo Santos, Douglas Luiz, Gabriel Bontempo, Martinelli
Forwards: Endrick, Estêvão, Pedro, Rayan, Samuel Lino, Vinicius Junior
Ancelotti has already confirmed that Pedro Morisco will start in goal against India, but he declined to reveal the rest of his XI at the match-eve press conference. Any complete Brazil line-up published before the official team sheet is released should therefore be treated as a prediction. CBF
Khalid Jamil selected a 26-player India national football team squad for the international window involving Panama, Brazil and Uruguay. The group includes experienced names such as Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Anwar Ali, Anirudh Thapa, Sahal Abdul Samad, Manvir Singh and Ashique Kuruniyan, along with Ryan Williams, who scored against Panama. The India national football team squad announced by AIFF is:
Goalkeepers: Albino Gomes, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Prabhsukhan Singh Gill, Som Kumar
Defenders: Abhishek Singh Tekcham, Akash Mishra, Anwar Ali, Bijoy Varghese, Hmingthanmawia Ralte, Jay Gupta, Pramveer, Ricky Meetei Haobam
Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Ashique Kuruniyan, Farukh Choudhary, Lalengmawia Ralte, Macarton Nickson, Mohammed Sanan, Ricky Shabong, Sahal Abdul Samad
Forwards: Edmund Lalrindika, Irfan Yadwad, Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Ryan Williams, Vikram Partap Singh
AIFF also named Hrithik Tiwari, Chinglensana Singh Konsham, Roshan Singh Naorem and Suresh Singh Wangjam as reserves when the squad was announced. India's official starting XI had not been released at the time of writing.
Vinicius Junior's appearance gives the fixture another notable storyline. The Real Madrid forward has previously played in India. As a 16-year-old, he represented Brazil's youth team at the 2016 BRICS Cup and finished as the tournament's leading scorer with five goals in five games. Speaking ahead of Saturday's match, Vinicius recalled positive memories of that visit and said he was happy to return. Brazil arrived in Kolkata after playing two matches against Australia. Ancelotti's team drew the first 1-1 in Townsville before winning the second encounter 4-2 in Brisbane, where Vinicius was among the scorers. The brazil vs india football match will complete Brazil's three-game international window.
The Salt Lake Stadium Kolkata fixture is expected to attract enormous interest because of the city's historic connection with the game and, particularly, Brazilian football. CBF says the stadium has a capacity of about 63,000 and regularly hosts one of India's biggest club rivalries. Brazil held its final pre-match training session at the ground on Friday after travelling to Kolkata from Brisbane.
For Indian players, the atmosphere presents a slightly unusual dynamic. Many spectators attending the game have followed Brazil for decades, but India's players have stressed that admiration for their opponents cannot interfere with the competitive task.
At the match-eve press conference, Anwar Ali said the team needed to stay calm and deal with the pressure, while Jamil acknowledged Brazil's quality but emphasised that India would enter the field to compete rather than simply participate in the occasion. The Salt Lake Stadium Kolkata crowd will therefore see a rare combination: an Indian home match against a global football powerhouse that also commands a huge local following.
Indian viewers can watch the game through the Sony Sports Network, while Sony Aath is also carrying the fixture. Streaming will be available through the SonyLIV app and website. The broadcast information is:
The brazil vs india football match is scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM, with Sony's promotional coverage beginning earlier. After Saturday's fixture, India will remain in Kolkata for another major international friendly against two-time world champions Uruguay on October 6. For the Blue Tigers, Brazil represent a test unlike anything they have faced in recent years: the world's fifth-ranked team, coached by one of football's most decorated managers and featuring players competing at the highest levels of the club game.
But the immediate facts are straightforward. Brazil vs India takes place tonight at VYBK, the full starting line-ups are still to be officially confirmed, Pedro Morisco will start in Brazil's goal, and fans in India can watch the historic first senior meeting live from 7:30 PM IST.
Everything you need to know
India vs Brazil will be played on Saturday, October 3, 2026, with kick-off scheduled for 7:30 PM IST in Kolkata. CBF
The historic friendly will take place at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, also known as Salt Lake Stadium, in Kolkata.
The match will be broadcast on the Sony Sports Network and Sony Aath, while live streaming will be available on SonyLIV.
Yes. AIFF and CBF both confirm that October 3 marks the first-ever senior men’s international between India and Brazil.
Vinicius Junior is part of Brazil’s squad for the Kolkata friendly. CBF also highlighted his return to India, where he previously played as a teenager in the 2016 BRICS Cup. The final starting XI, however, should only be treated as confirmed once officially released.
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